Euronext and Vigeo create a new ESG index dedicated to companies from emerging market countries

The FINANCIAL -- Euronext, the primary exchange in the Eurozone, and Vigeo, one of the leading European agencies in Corporate Social Responsibility ratings, will launch a new ESG Index on the 22 June 2015: Euronext-Vigeo EM 70.

This index distinguishes 70 companies from a universe of 900 listed companies in developing countries which have the highest performances in corporate responsibility based on their ratings by Vigeo, according to Euronext.

Companies’ weighting in the index, calculated by Euronext, is correlated with the score assigned by Vigeo. This represents an alternative approach to traditional methods based on float. It allows for positive discrimination in favour of those listed companies—most of which operate internationally—that are the most actively engaged in promoting compliance with universal public standards, particularly in the field of human rights, decent employment practices, environmental protection, corporate governance, business ethics and contributions to social economic development in areas where they operate.

The index components are reviewed and updated twice a year, in June and in December.